Hey all! I'm a bit lost trying to understand how SAT scores are calculated. Is there a scoring chart or something that I can check? How heavily are different sections weighted? Any info would help a lot, thank you!
Sure, I can help clarify this. The SAT consists of two required sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Each of these sections is scored on a scale of 200 to 800, making the combined total SAT score range from 400 to 1600.
Now, about your question on section weightage. Each section, the EBRW and Math, carries equal weight when calculating the total score. That means your performance on each section directly impacts your final score. The individual scores for Math and EBRW are then added together to give you the total score out of 1600.
Inside of these larger sections, the EBRW score is further broken down. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score is an aggregate of your performance on the Reading Test (52 questions) and the Writing/Language Test (44 questions). Your raw score on each of these tests (basically the total amount of questions you got right) is converted into a scaled score through a process called equating. Here's where it gets a bit complex - this equating process adjusts for slight differences in difficulty among different test versions and ensures that a student's score does not depend on the specific test version they took.
Similar to the EBRW section, the Math section is also based on your raw scores. The Math section has two portions: one where you can use a calculator and one where you cannot. Both portions' scores are combined to give your final Math section score (ranging from 200 to 800).
Please note that as of spring 2024, the SAT has been fully digital, and there are two modules for each of the Reading/Writing and Math sections, but the scoring process hasn't fundamentally changed. The structure is now, two 32-minute modules for Reading/Writing to complete 54 questions and two 35-minute modules for Math to complete 44 questions.
I hope this helps clear things up for you! Let me know if you have any further questions.
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